Don’t Let The New Person Have Lunch By Themselves.

I joined a new company two weeks ago. I’ve been the new person at work many times before — I know what it feels like. A new workplace is scary, overwhelming and challenging.

What I’m about to share with you makes me incredibly emotional and it’s very close to my heart.

During the week I saw someone else, who was also new, having lunch by themselves.

They walked through the big grey door by themselves, took one look over at all the tables, and then headed towards a table in the corner away from everybody. My heart sunk.

I knew what he was going through and it wasn’t easy. Right as he walked through the door, I was in the middle of a conversation.

Mid-sentence, I said:“Excuse me for just a second. I’ll be right back.”

People sitting on my table looked at me funny. They knew I was odd and did weird stuff. They were trying to figure out what I was about to do in their own minds.

“I’ve always been told that leadership is not about being the boss but setting the right example”

I walked over to the other side of the lunchroom. I said:

“Would you like to come over and have lunch with us?”

I wanted him to feel part of the team. The first couple of weeks in any career are make or break — I should know given my recent exit from finance after seven years.

I know what it’s like to be the new person.

I was the new person in insurance.
Then I was the new person in business banking.
Then I was the new person in eCommerce.

Each time I was the new person I felt scared, incredibly fearful, overwhelmed, anxious and self-conscious. Not much has changed really. I still feel like that which is why I’m obsessed with being part of the solution.

The solution is this:

“Don’t let the new person have lunch by themselves.”

Taking the time to make people feel included and like they matter makes a difference. You could be the difference between a new person staying and having an epic time at work, or giving up in the first few months.

The difference is even bigger than you think.

What do I mean? If being the new person doesn’t go well, it can lead to many issues that you may not have realized. The new person could become lonely; the new person could underachieve and be fired; the new person could struggle to make friends.

These issues could lead to a failed career or not being able to pay bills or even mental illness.

As a worst case scenario, these issues could even lead to suicide. The difference of helping that one person to have lunch with the team could be far greater than you realize.

Inclusion is how we cure loneliness.

Loneliness is why we have social media, dating apps and cafes.

No one wants to be that person having lunch by themselves because they feel like they’re not enough or can’t fit in.

“The cure to loneliness is inclusion”

You can be the difference by encouraging inclusion.

Be the leader and set the example of inclusion.

Embrace differences in culture, gender, sexual orientation and race.

Stopping someone from having lunch by themselves will teach you far more about life that you might think. Bottom line is this: we’re all the answer. Be inclusive.

One sentence can change everything.

That one sentence “Hey would you like to join us for lunch?” means more than you think. You were the new person once. I was the new person too.

That one sentence can change someone’s perspective.

It’s not about lunch buddies; it’s about leading with heart and being a good human being.

It’s what you must do. Next time you see someone having lunch by themselves, invite them over. If they are too shy to come over, sit down with them and have lunch together.

Tim is best known as a long-time contributor on Addicted2Success. Tim's content has been shared millions of times and he has written multiple viral posts all around personal development and entrepreneurship.
You can connect with Tim through his website www.timdenning.net

10 Small Startups That You Can Build on Your Own Right Now

Having a business of our own is a dream that is very obvious and common all throughout. With the rise in startups and funding options, the market is blooming with successful entrepreneurs. And rightly so! But many ambitious people are seen dropping out of their dream of building a business only because of the funds involved in setting up one! We forget to acknowledge that the idea if planned and executed well, is strong enough to pull in all the investments.

Both Facebook and Microsoft started as very small business ideas and we all know the fate of them in today’s world. The basic idea is to invest your idea and build your own brand out of it. There is a market for startups that is constantly evolving with different niches.

So for anybody looking to start small yet efficient, here’s a list of 10 small startups that you can build on your own as per the current scenario:

1. Blogging/ Vlogging

In the past few years of digitalization, this has emerged as one of the top-notch money-making investments. The cost involved is as meagre as it can get, but the returns are particularly amazing.

Before starting to blog, one has to invest in a domain name and hosting whereas, for vlogging in platforms like youtube, there is no money involved. All it takes is an expertise in any field and the confidence to present it in the best engaging way possible. Bloggers earn through a lot of collaborations and affiliate marketing whereas youtube itself pays it’s users when they reach a good set of engagement through content.

2. Baking

If baking is your passion, it can very well be your profession. Your only big investment is a good oven and then, your skills do the magic! If you’re enthusiastic about baking, you can prepare cakes, muffins, cookies, and homemade bakery items.

The market for this has huge potential as customers are always experimenting on taste and are looking for the best customization. By posting your bakery items online, you can directly connect with your customers and provide economical solutions as per your brand.

3. Stylist

With the rise in competition amongst folks to be more presentable, personal stylists stand a great chance in the market. Most everyday individuals are trying hard to keep a great profile at their display due to the increased demand for visibility.

Coordinating your makeup, your hair, and your dress for the perfect occasion calls for expert advice, and the expert advice comes with money! So put your styling sense on display and get yourself great customers.

4. Developer

This is one of the highest demanding markets if you have the skill for it! A new app or a website is getting developed all the time. From small businesses to public figures to bigger enterprises, everybody has an online presence for their brand. Web developers and App developers are hence, almost every entrepreneurs “go-to” person. The investment is null if knowledge is not counted as one if you already have a good system to back up your codes.

“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden

5. Event Planning

Starting up with an event management company requires a dedicated human resource with a knack of marketing and networking skills. You could start your office at your home before you earn enough to expand it.

Event planning has become a need in almost every household to offices for it gives people the liberty to enjoy their event without thinking much of it. Event planning is hence a rescue measure nobody forgets to take!

6. Professional Photography

With Facebook and Instagram taking a toll on people, the demand for enriching and captivating pictures has hit people enormously.

People tend to pay chunks of money for video shoots and detailed photography to capture their big days. As a professional photographer, you are in demand for great projects!

7. Interior Designing

A dream home is always designed as per the customer’s choice. And today, almost every house purchased includes the customer getting its interior designed well for their convenience. Interior designers with a decent outreach in the market are a business of their own! The only requirement is to understand the needs and use your own creativity to earn out of it.

8. Food truck

Food at an affordable rate, and one that pleases your taste buds never goes out of fashion. A cafe or a restaurant is out of budget for most people, but renting a food truck along with a good cook is not only trendy but also a cheap investment.

Food trucks have been in the market for quite some time now and are a great spot for food lovers. A food truck also has an advantage of mobility and hence, is a great business idea that can attract crowds.

9. Tutoring

Are you good with understanding psychology and teaching methods? Then this is an exclusive business plan for anybody willing to invest the time. There is a need for quality learning methods and a greater understanding of subjects whether it is a school course, music, or an art. There is almost no investment in teaching except for the time spent. And hence, this is the most cost-effective business.

“Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing.” – Bill Murray

10. Travel agency

A home based travel agency would cost very little since it has to be tied up with a host agency. The time is such that most of the people are at least planning a tour once in a year on average. The cost of setting up a travel agency is less but the commission earned is really worth more than the investment. It is one such happy-go-lucky businesses out in the market!

Every business has its own share of failures and successes. There are a lot of myths associated with starting a new business that you will come across but you should be careful to ditch them. You will understand it only when you give it a try. Try something new, and you’ll never know where it might go.

Which one of these 10 startup ideas resonates most with you and why? Let us know your thoughts below!

Working With A Bad Boss Is The Real Soul-Crushing Dream Killer

Bad bosses are ruining great companies all over the world. The problem is not the people it’s the bosses that they work for.

You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all had one of these bad bosses.

They micromanage

They promise the world and deliver nothing

They overload you and know you’re going to fail

They never listen

They’re always too busy (busy doing meetings aka socializing)

They never back you in performance conversations

They get angry at you when you’re doing your best

I could go on for hours.

BAD BOSSES SUCK and are destroying otherwise great companies.

My bad boss

I’m lucky. I’ve only had one bad boss.

This boss would complain to everyone about how bad the company was. He told everyone he wanted to leave except me. I asked him several times and he lied to me. His only trick to motivate me was to remind me that bonus time was right around the corner.

Somehow that bonus was supposed to make up for the fact we hated going to work and it was soul-crushing.

Everything this boss taught me was wrong.

Stab your colleagues in the back on their way out. Bag other bosses and then pretend you didn’t. Never support your team’s personal goals outside of work.

For around six months, while this bad bosses reign of terror lasted, no one wanted to come to work. The best part about work was going home. Even better was long weekends and any excuse not to have to talk with him.

The company had a good name and quality products but the culture had spiraled out of control. This bad boss had become one of many.Conversations at work became nothing more than weekly meetings where everyone would go through what they did and have KPI conversations. It was demoralizing.

I tried to tell him that I discovered a major client was leaving. He ignored it and told me I was wrong. I gave him clear evidence. He still denied it — until the client finally left.

Titles, salaries and bonuses are not enough

Who gives a damn about all of that.

These things feel good for about a day and then they become nothing more than trivial pursuits that don’t mean anything at the end of the day.

Titles, salaries and bonuses are like dog treats used to lure dogs into obeying orders. Is it really acceptable to treat humans in this way and reward them like incentivized dogs that should do as they’re told and roll over?

I’ve had some good bonuses in my career. The best year was when I made no bonus and got the girl I’d always dreamed about.

I’ve had some awesome job titles in my career. The best title was the one of leader which was given to me by the internet after I spent years inspiring people through personal development and entrepreneurship. The titles you appreciate are the ones that don’t describe a department or area of a business.

I’ve had some awesome salaries too. The difference between five figures and six figures is hardly noticeable. I didn’t suddenly go from homeless to driving a Ferrari. In fact, when I had less, I appreciated it so much more. Saving up to buy an iPad felt like a huge achievement.

“There are too many bad bosses waffling on about KPI’s and incentives and not enough trying to show their people how to find meaning in their life and do work they love. That’s the work of a good boss”

How do you escape a bad boss?

Take responsibility. Do something about your bad boss. Change departments or change companies. Whatever you do don’t give your boss the thumbs up by sticking around. Instead, give them the quiet middle finger and get your ass out of there as quickly as you can.

It’s your responsibility to vote with your career and show them who’s not your boss.

Respect yourself too. Escaping your bad boss is less about them and more about you. If you respect yourself, you’ll escape. It’s not prison. You can use platforms like LinkedIn to find another career. There’s lots of nice people out there that will help you escape your bad boss if you’ll just have the courage to ask them.

Nothing will kill your dreams quicker than a bad boss.

A bad boss can affect you more than you realize. They make you feel sick, they make you lack energy and they don’t support you thus killing your goals and dreams.

You need a good boss that’s willing to let you do projects, do good work, and meet people that are aligned with your dreams. Not working towards your goals each day at work kills your motivation. Keeping a bad boss happy is soul-crushing.

You need positivity, advice, coaching, and the right people to achieve your personal goals. A bad boss is never going to listen to any of that because they are all about themselves and their KPI’s.

“Stick KPI’s where the sun don’t shine. No person has ever been or ever will be genuinely motivated by that three letter acronym ‘KPI’ that you bolster on about until we all want to fall asleep”

What does a good boss look like?

Really simple everybody:

They respect you first and you respect them back.

They trust people to do the job and support you to do so

They don’t give you the answer they help you find it for yourself

They have emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion oozing out of them

They appreciate the work you do and the challenges you face

They’ll never ask you to do something they’re not prepared to do themselves (i.e., managers that don’t talk to clients)

They help you to grow by giving you challenges aligned to your own goals

I’ve had many good bosses that follow this format. One such boss got me to attend Toastmasters which not only helped my public speaking but built my confidence.

This same good boss also allowed me to work one day in social media. He’s the reason I now work a four day week, so I can continue that tradition of working one day entirely on social media.

A message for the bad bosses of the world.

You can’t hide any longer.

People are catching on to the fact they can choose any company they want to work for.

“LinkedIn now provides us with endless opportunities to get the hell away from you and meet good bosses”

As freedom in the working world spreads, bad bosses are going to be ignored and therefore be forced into hiding and made extinct like the dinosaurs. Bad bosses, we’re coming for you!

We’re going to silence you through leaving your ass behind.
We’re going to encourage others to do the same.
We’re going to choose ourselves first.

4 Simple Ways to Transform Your Startup Into a Success

Who said for a startup to become a success it must struggle for years? If planned and executed smartly, any startup can sail on the ship of success without any hurdles.

There are many myths associated with startups like ‘It has to be small because it is a startup,’ or ‘You just need an idea and the rest will follow,’ or even, ‘Investing in marketing or advertising for a startup is a waste”. Just because a startup is something new for you, doesn’t mean it’s new for people too.

There are thousands of others with your same idea already out there in the market. Hence, for your startup to climb the ladder of success as soon as you roll the dice, you better get the right figures i.e you better do what you need to do in the right manner and proportion. Confused? Let us make it more clear to you.

One of the most often quoted statistics is that 50% of all startups fail to survive even five years. And the reasons for their downfalls are so silly that later they repent only if they had taken care of it at the beginning itself, the startup could have survived. A post-mortem of 287 Startups was carried out by CBInsights among which, the common reasons of startup failure that emerged out were:

Lack of general and domain-specific business knowledge: finance, operations, and marketing and experience

Investing blunders and running out of cash

Improper budgeting

No getting market exposure

Poor product/service

No business plan/strategy

No/Poor marketing

Focusing only on profit and not on customers

For a startup to succeed, money and ideas are not enough, it needs a lot of input from your side as well to grow and survive, like your passion, commitment, willingness to adjust, patience and persistence, observation, relationship with all and basic knowledge and skill. But above all, professionalism is the most important factor. Starting small and new is nothing to be taken lightly. How you interact with your investors, clients or customers, matters, after all, they are the one who will make or break your startup.

Here are the 4 simple ways that will reflect your professionalism as well as turn your startup into a success:

1. Two heads are better than one

Go get a co-founder. Studies show that a startup with two founders significantly increases the odds of success. How? Because two balanced and fully invested partners can keep the startup going on their shoulders equally well. A co-founder means you will have someone to rely on, share the load, chip in during critical times, handle responsibilities, motivate each other and so on. In the end, so what you will have to share the fruit of success, at least your startup will have a balanced support which will prevent it from drowning in the future.

Take for example the Mistay Founder Pranav Prabhakar who believes that, “Multiple founders with complementary skills bring in wider perspective to the team. While taking key decisions and at high-pressure situations, it’s always preferable to have someone who can provide support and an alternative perspective,” and hence has Sandeep Jaiswal as the co-founder of Mistay.

According to Sandeep, ‘A co-founder makes it easy to navigate through tough times. A partner with complimenting skill-sets and different style of thinking is important to help avoid mistakes one would otherwise make, he stressed. So having a co-founder is like an extra support for your startup.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison, General Electric Co-founder

2. Get a website/app or both

If you are thinking an investment into web/app is a big waste of money, then hello, it’s 2018 and today from kids to oldies, everyone is constantly browsing either on a desktop/laptop or on mobile. Your potential customers, clients and investors are out there on all platforms and to make them learn about your startup, you must have a website or app of yours ready.

If you are still worried about the budget, for starters, host your site on WordPress which is the most popular CMS of the planet. Its versatility and possibilities are endless which you can take benefit of or go for professional pre-made website templates that easily available at affordable prices.

3. Let people know

Branding and marketing both are lifelines for a business and just because you are a startup doesn’t mean you can survive without them. Branding means establishing a professional presence in both online and offline medium. Make your company logo, colour and other identities visible everywhere as much as possible. Give your clients pens, diaries or other stationary items with your company logo, this will remind them of your great service.

Also, spend rightly on marketing even if you are running a single campaign, make it an effective one that creates an impact on the people. Don’t forget to check whether the market is right for your product/service. Marketing at the right time only will prove beneficial. For eg., marketing your summer clothes brand during winter is useless.

4. Deliver what you promised

Sticking with your word creates your professional image and even a slight slip in it will bring down your startup empire. Nothing is more irritating than a business failing to deliver what it promised. Don’t brag about anything it will only lose your potential customers, stain your reputation and in a worse scenario, get you in legal troubles. First, deliver what you told them you can gradually add and inform them if you wish to serve more. Until and unless, as a startup, don’t try to go overboard and create a mess of everything.

“Always deliver more than expected.” – Larry Page, Google Co-Founder

Turning an idea from concept to production is no cakewalk. The eagerness to establish into a giant is understandable, but, why take unnecessary big risks and crash in the end? Better study the market first, define what new you are giving, plan at its best, execute smartly and enjoy the rewards.

6 Important Strategies That Will Help You Grow a Successful Startup

Congratulations – you’re here because you have a bright idea. The kind that prompts you to, pause in amazement to ask yourself why nobody ever thought of this before, tidy your desk, and start searching for advice on how to turn your brainwave into a profitable business. But where should you really begin?

Building a business is one of the greatest journeys you can embark upon. You can’t expect success overnight. Behind the meteoric rise of each ‘Uber for this’ and ‘Airbnb for that’, there are rivers of sweat, oceans of tears and months of lost sleep.

The foundation of a viable business is to identify a problem and provide a good solution – or a better one than your would-be customers can currently find. You should begin by thinking through your business plan and doing your market research. Be prepared to make changes to the product and to redefine your target market in response to your findings.

Your next step is to get the infrastructure of success in place. Become an expert by studying up on specialist sector information. Get get a professional-looking website, clean up your social media, contribute to relevant discussions online and in person: you should be seen as an authority.

Select the platforms you’ll use to market your product – does it need a video demonstration, or are you the author and sage behind the next hit eBook? Then, get to grips with Google. You’ll need to produce regular, relevant content for your site to rank highly, and understand how paid ads work in order to run campaigns or instruct an agency.

Think this summary sounds simple enough? You already know the roadmap to business stardom will be peppered with potholes. Here are six tips to prepare:

There’s no middle-management or bureaucracy to prevent you from experimenting with new tactics or tailoring services to a particular client’s requirements. Bonus tip? Don’t quit your day job right away. It’s incredible how much time you can free up on evenings and weekends by reducing your Netflix consumption.

“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” – Richard Branson

2. Network, network, network

Mingling, schmoozing, hobnobbing – it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Maybe it seems pointless, or pushes you out of your comfort zone at first, but networking is an extremely valuable use of your time. Polish your LinkedIn presence, go to business networking events, reach out to people you could learn from. Join discussion forums and contribute to them.

You could even consider applying to startup incubator programs such as TechStars, which offer a curated programme of introductions to both mentors and investors. You can’t predict when one of these contacts will offer a helping hand, but relationship building is key to securing support in your hour of need.

3. Tighten the purse strings

Startups don’t secure their founders a steady stream of income. There will be weeks when you’re flush, and months when your dreams of entrepreneurial success are eclipsed by dreams of a dinner that isn’t ramen. Without the privilege of a reliable income, life is easier to navigate when you’re equipped with budgeting smarts and a steely will. Get used to living within your means. Your salary cut will ultimately translate into a runway extension for your startup.

4. The customer is (still) king

Your brilliance and expertise can’t fund your startup by themselves! Customers put food on your table and sustain the viability of your business. Listen to what they want from you. Be prepared to tailor your offering to their needs. If you get an opportunity to deliver results for someone – seize it. You can offer them a perk no big business can match: flexibility.

5. Shortcuts leave you short-changed

If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right first time. Don’t give investors a chance to pick holes in your business proposition by spending time and money on work that needs to be re-done. Website bugs or a ‘content farm’ blog can damage the functionality of your business as well as your reputation.

Sure, you’ll get to the stage where your business is ready for a re-brand or an experienced hire brings in the knowledge to optimise your content, but there’s a difference between being keen to improve versus tolerating shoddy work. Get the best you can buy at every stage of growth.

“Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” – Mark Cuban

6. Know your ‘why’

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But how can you cultivate this toughness? In the early stages, you may not have a co-founder or employee to share the struggle. There will be no team to carry you through phases of crippling doubt. Whether you need to adjust the feng shui of your home office, admit that breaks are crucial to your wellbeing or build opportunities to socialise with likeminded individuals into your schedule, take time to work out the foundations of your mental fortitude.

Understand your ‘why’ – the reason behind your passion that gives you a true sense of purpose. Then, work to cultivate a balance. You can’t do everything, but you can make time for family, exercise, and the little things that save your sanity. The ability to self-motivate will serve you in every area of life, whether business is your vocation or not.

Success is for the Self-Taught

Truman Capote, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Jobs, Nikola Tesla. Those are four names you never thought you’d see in a sentence together. As it happens, these four individuals have more in common than their success, ingenuity, and fame. They were all autodidacts. In other words, they were self-taught learners.(more…)

10 Small Startups That You Can Build on Your Own Right Now

Having a business of our own is a dream that is very obvious and common all throughout. With the rise in startups and funding options, the market is blooming with successful entrepreneurs. And rightly so! But many ambitious people are seen dropping out of their dream of building a business only because of the funds involved in setting up one! We forget to acknowledge that the idea if planned and executed well, is strong enough to pull in all the investments.

Both Facebook and Microsoft started as very small business ideas and we all know the fate of them in today’s world. The basic idea is to invest your idea and build your own brand out of it. There is a market for startups that is constantly evolving with different niches.

So for anybody looking to start small yet efficient, here’s a list of 10 small startups that you can build on your own as per the current scenario:

1. Blogging/ Vlogging

In the past few years of digitalization, this has emerged as one of the top-notch money-making investments. The cost involved is as meagre as it can get, but the returns are particularly amazing.

Before starting to blog, one has to invest in a domain name and hosting whereas, for vlogging in platforms like youtube, there is no money involved. All it takes is an expertise in any field and the confidence to present it in the best engaging way possible. Bloggers earn through a lot of collaborations and affiliate marketing whereas youtube itself pays it’s users when they reach a good set of engagement through content.

2. Baking

If baking is your passion, it can very well be your profession. Your only big investment is a good oven and then, your skills do the magic! If you’re enthusiastic about baking, you can prepare cakes, muffins, cookies, and homemade bakery items.

The market for this has huge potential as customers are always experimenting on taste and are looking for the best customization. By posting your bakery items online, you can directly connect with your customers and provide economical solutions as per your brand.

3. Stylist

With the rise in competition amongst folks to be more presentable, personal stylists stand a great chance in the market. Most everyday individuals are trying hard to keep a great profile at their display due to the increased demand for visibility.

Coordinating your makeup, your hair, and your dress for the perfect occasion calls for expert advice, and the expert advice comes with money! So put your styling sense on display and get yourself great customers.

4. Developer

This is one of the highest demanding markets if you have the skill for it! A new app or a website is getting developed all the time. From small businesses to public figures to bigger enterprises, everybody has an online presence for their brand. Web developers and App developers are hence, almost every entrepreneurs “go-to” person. The investment is null if knowledge is not counted as one if you already have a good system to back up your codes.

“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden

5. Event Planning

Starting up with an event management company requires a dedicated human resource with a knack of marketing and networking skills. You could start your office at your home before you earn enough to expand it.

Event planning has become a need in almost every household to offices for it gives people the liberty to enjoy their event without thinking much of it. Event planning is hence a rescue measure nobody forgets to take!

6. Professional Photography

With Facebook and Instagram taking a toll on people, the demand for enriching and captivating pictures has hit people enormously.

People tend to pay chunks of money for video shoots and detailed photography to capture their big days. As a professional photographer, you are in demand for great projects!

7. Interior Designing

A dream home is always designed as per the customer’s choice. And today, almost every house purchased includes the customer getting its interior designed well for their convenience. Interior designers with a decent outreach in the market are a business of their own! The only requirement is to understand the needs and use your own creativity to earn out of it.

8. Food truck

Food at an affordable rate, and one that pleases your taste buds never goes out of fashion. A cafe or a restaurant is out of budget for most people, but renting a food truck along with a good cook is not only trendy but also a cheap investment.

Food trucks have been in the market for quite some time now and are a great spot for food lovers. A food truck also has an advantage of mobility and hence, is a great business idea that can attract crowds.

9. Tutoring

Are you good with understanding psychology and teaching methods? Then this is an exclusive business plan for anybody willing to invest the time. There is a need for quality learning methods and a greater understanding of subjects whether it is a school course, music, or an art. There is almost no investment in teaching except for the time spent. And hence, this is the most cost-effective business.

“Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing.” – Bill Murray

10. Travel agency

A home based travel agency would cost very little since it has to be tied up with a host agency. The time is such that most of the people are at least planning a tour once in a year on average. The cost of setting up a travel agency is less but the commission earned is really worth more than the investment. It is one such happy-go-lucky businesses out in the market!

Every business has its own share of failures and successes. There are a lot of myths associated with starting a new business that you will come across but you should be careful to ditch them. You will understand it only when you give it a try. Try something new, and you’ll never know where it might go.

Which one of these 10 startup ideas resonates most with you and why? Let us know your thoughts below!

Working With A Bad Boss Is The Real Soul-Crushing Dream Killer

Bad bosses are ruining great companies all over the world. The problem is not the people it’s the bosses that they work for.

You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all had one of these bad bosses.

They micromanage

They promise the world and deliver nothing

They overload you and know you’re going to fail

They never listen

They’re always too busy (busy doing meetings aka socializing)

They never back you in performance conversations

They get angry at you when you’re doing your best

I could go on for hours.

BAD BOSSES SUCK and are destroying otherwise great companies.

My bad boss

I’m lucky. I’ve only had one bad boss.

This boss would complain to everyone about how bad the company was. He told everyone he wanted to leave except me. I asked him several times and he lied to me. His only trick to motivate me was to remind me that bonus time was right around the corner.

Somehow that bonus was supposed to make up for the fact we hated going to work and it was soul-crushing.

Everything this boss taught me was wrong.

Stab your colleagues in the back on their way out. Bag other bosses and then pretend you didn’t. Never support your team’s personal goals outside of work.

For around six months, while this bad bosses reign of terror lasted, no one wanted to come to work. The best part about work was going home. Even better was long weekends and any excuse not to have to talk with him.

The company had a good name and quality products but the culture had spiraled out of control. This bad boss had become one of many.Conversations at work became nothing more than weekly meetings where everyone would go through what they did and have KPI conversations. It was demoralizing.

I tried to tell him that I discovered a major client was leaving. He ignored it and told me I was wrong. I gave him clear evidence. He still denied it — until the client finally left.

Titles, salaries and bonuses are not enough

Who gives a damn about all of that.

These things feel good for about a day and then they become nothing more than trivial pursuits that don’t mean anything at the end of the day.

Titles, salaries and bonuses are like dog treats used to lure dogs into obeying orders. Is it really acceptable to treat humans in this way and reward them like incentivized dogs that should do as they’re told and roll over?

I’ve had some good bonuses in my career. The best year was when I made no bonus and got the girl I’d always dreamed about.

I’ve had some awesome job titles in my career. The best title was the one of leader which was given to me by the internet after I spent years inspiring people through personal development and entrepreneurship. The titles you appreciate are the ones that don’t describe a department or area of a business.

I’ve had some awesome salaries too. The difference between five figures and six figures is hardly noticeable. I didn’t suddenly go from homeless to driving a Ferrari. In fact, when I had less, I appreciated it so much more. Saving up to buy an iPad felt like a huge achievement.

“There are too many bad bosses waffling on about KPI’s and incentives and not enough trying to show their people how to find meaning in their life and do work they love. That’s the work of a good boss”

How do you escape a bad boss?

Take responsibility. Do something about your bad boss. Change departments or change companies. Whatever you do don’t give your boss the thumbs up by sticking around. Instead, give them the quiet middle finger and get your ass out of there as quickly as you can.

It’s your responsibility to vote with your career and show them who’s not your boss.

Respect yourself too. Escaping your bad boss is less about them and more about you. If you respect yourself, you’ll escape. It’s not prison. You can use platforms like LinkedIn to find another career. There’s lots of nice people out there that will help you escape your bad boss if you’ll just have the courage to ask them.

Nothing will kill your dreams quicker than a bad boss.

A bad boss can affect you more than you realize. They make you feel sick, they make you lack energy and they don’t support you thus killing your goals and dreams.

You need a good boss that’s willing to let you do projects, do good work, and meet people that are aligned with your dreams. Not working towards your goals each day at work kills your motivation. Keeping a bad boss happy is soul-crushing.

You need positivity, advice, coaching, and the right people to achieve your personal goals. A bad boss is never going to listen to any of that because they are all about themselves and their KPI’s.

“Stick KPI’s where the sun don’t shine. No person has ever been or ever will be genuinely motivated by that three letter acronym ‘KPI’ that you bolster on about until we all want to fall asleep”

What does a good boss look like?

Really simple everybody:

They respect you first and you respect them back.

They trust people to do the job and support you to do so

They don’t give you the answer they help you find it for yourself

They have emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion oozing out of them

They appreciate the work you do and the challenges you face

They’ll never ask you to do something they’re not prepared to do themselves (i.e., managers that don’t talk to clients)

They help you to grow by giving you challenges aligned to your own goals

I’ve had many good bosses that follow this format. One such boss got me to attend Toastmasters which not only helped my public speaking but built my confidence.

This same good boss also allowed me to work one day in social media. He’s the reason I now work a four day week, so I can continue that tradition of working one day entirely on social media.

A message for the bad bosses of the world.

You can’t hide any longer.

People are catching on to the fact they can choose any company they want to work for.

“LinkedIn now provides us with endless opportunities to get the hell away from you and meet good bosses”

As freedom in the working world spreads, bad bosses are going to be ignored and therefore be forced into hiding and made extinct like the dinosaurs. Bad bosses, we’re coming for you!

We’re going to silence you through leaving your ass behind.
We’re going to encourage others to do the same.
We’re going to choose ourselves first.

4 Simple Ways to Transform Your Startup Into a Success

Who said for a startup to become a success it must struggle for years? If planned and executed smartly, any startup can sail on the ship of success without any hurdles.

There are many myths associated with startups like ‘It has to be small because it is a startup,’ or ‘You just need an idea and the rest will follow,’ or even, ‘Investing in marketing or advertising for a startup is a waste”. Just because a startup is something new for you, doesn’t mean it’s new for people too.

There are thousands of others with your same idea already out there in the market. Hence, for your startup to climb the ladder of success as soon as you roll the dice, you better get the right figures i.e you better do what you need to do in the right manner and proportion. Confused? Let us make it more clear to you.

One of the most often quoted statistics is that 50% of all startups fail to survive even five years. And the reasons for their downfalls are so silly that later they repent only if they had taken care of it at the beginning itself, the startup could have survived. A post-mortem of 287 Startups was carried out by CBInsights among which, the common reasons of startup failure that emerged out were:

Lack of general and domain-specific business knowledge: finance, operations, and marketing and experience

Investing blunders and running out of cash

Improper budgeting

No getting market exposure

Poor product/service

No business plan/strategy

No/Poor marketing

Focusing only on profit and not on customers

For a startup to succeed, money and ideas are not enough, it needs a lot of input from your side as well to grow and survive, like your passion, commitment, willingness to adjust, patience and persistence, observation, relationship with all and basic knowledge and skill. But above all, professionalism is the most important factor. Starting small and new is nothing to be taken lightly. How you interact with your investors, clients or customers, matters, after all, they are the one who will make or break your startup.

Here are the 4 simple ways that will reflect your professionalism as well as turn your startup into a success:

1. Two heads are better than one

Go get a co-founder. Studies show that a startup with two founders significantly increases the odds of success. How? Because two balanced and fully invested partners can keep the startup going on their shoulders equally well. A co-founder means you will have someone to rely on, share the load, chip in during critical times, handle responsibilities, motivate each other and so on. In the end, so what you will have to share the fruit of success, at least your startup will have a balanced support which will prevent it from drowning in the future.

Take for example the Mistay Founder Pranav Prabhakar who believes that, “Multiple founders with complementary skills bring in wider perspective to the team. While taking key decisions and at high-pressure situations, it’s always preferable to have someone who can provide support and an alternative perspective,” and hence has Sandeep Jaiswal as the co-founder of Mistay.

According to Sandeep, ‘A co-founder makes it easy to navigate through tough times. A partner with complimenting skill-sets and different style of thinking is important to help avoid mistakes one would otherwise make, he stressed. So having a co-founder is like an extra support for your startup.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison, General Electric Co-founder

2. Get a website/app or both

If you are thinking an investment into web/app is a big waste of money, then hello, it’s 2018 and today from kids to oldies, everyone is constantly browsing either on a desktop/laptop or on mobile. Your potential customers, clients and investors are out there on all platforms and to make them learn about your startup, you must have a website or app of yours ready.

If you are still worried about the budget, for starters, host your site on WordPress which is the most popular CMS of the planet. Its versatility and possibilities are endless which you can take benefit of or go for professional pre-made website templates that easily available at affordable prices.

3. Let people know

Branding and marketing both are lifelines for a business and just because you are a startup doesn’t mean you can survive without them. Branding means establishing a professional presence in both online and offline medium. Make your company logo, colour and other identities visible everywhere as much as possible. Give your clients pens, diaries or other stationary items with your company logo, this will remind them of your great service.

Also, spend rightly on marketing even if you are running a single campaign, make it an effective one that creates an impact on the people. Don’t forget to check whether the market is right for your product/service. Marketing at the right time only will prove beneficial. For eg., marketing your summer clothes brand during winter is useless.

4. Deliver what you promised

Sticking with your word creates your professional image and even a slight slip in it will bring down your startup empire. Nothing is more irritating than a business failing to deliver what it promised. Don’t brag about anything it will only lose your potential customers, stain your reputation and in a worse scenario, get you in legal troubles. First, deliver what you told them you can gradually add and inform them if you wish to serve more. Until and unless, as a startup, don’t try to go overboard and create a mess of everything.

“Always deliver more than expected.” – Larry Page, Google Co-Founder

Turning an idea from concept to production is no cakewalk. The eagerness to establish into a giant is understandable, but, why take unnecessary big risks and crash in the end? Better study the market first, define what new you are giving, plan at its best, execute smartly and enjoy the rewards.

6 Important Strategies That Will Help You Grow a Successful Startup

Congratulations – you’re here because you have a bright idea. The kind that prompts you to, pause in amazement to ask yourself why nobody ever thought of this before, tidy your desk, and start searching for advice on how to turn your brainwave into a profitable business. But where should you really begin?

Building a business is one of the greatest journeys you can embark upon. You can’t expect success overnight. Behind the meteoric rise of each ‘Uber for this’ and ‘Airbnb for that’, there are rivers of sweat, oceans of tears and months of lost sleep.

The foundation of a viable business is to identify a problem and provide a good solution – or a better one than your would-be customers can currently find. You should begin by thinking through your business plan and doing your market research. Be prepared to make changes to the product and to redefine your target market in response to your findings.

Your next step is to get the infrastructure of success in place. Become an expert by studying up on specialist sector information. Get get a professional-looking website, clean up your social media, contribute to relevant discussions online and in person: you should be seen as an authority.

Select the platforms you’ll use to market your product – does it need a video demonstration, or are you the author and sage behind the next hit eBook? Then, get to grips with Google. You’ll need to produce regular, relevant content for your site to rank highly, and understand how paid ads work in order to run campaigns or instruct an agency.

Think this summary sounds simple enough? You already know the roadmap to business stardom will be peppered with potholes. Here are six tips to prepare:

There’s no middle-management or bureaucracy to prevent you from experimenting with new tactics or tailoring services to a particular client’s requirements. Bonus tip? Don’t quit your day job right away. It’s incredible how much time you can free up on evenings and weekends by reducing your Netflix consumption.

“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” – Richard Branson

2. Network, network, network

Mingling, schmoozing, hobnobbing – it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Maybe it seems pointless, or pushes you out of your comfort zone at first, but networking is an extremely valuable use of your time. Polish your LinkedIn presence, go to business networking events, reach out to people you could learn from. Join discussion forums and contribute to them.

You could even consider applying to startup incubator programs such as TechStars, which offer a curated programme of introductions to both mentors and investors. You can’t predict when one of these contacts will offer a helping hand, but relationship building is key to securing support in your hour of need.

3. Tighten the purse strings

Startups don’t secure their founders a steady stream of income. There will be weeks when you’re flush, and months when your dreams of entrepreneurial success are eclipsed by dreams of a dinner that isn’t ramen. Without the privilege of a reliable income, life is easier to navigate when you’re equipped with budgeting smarts and a steely will. Get used to living within your means. Your salary cut will ultimately translate into a runway extension for your startup.

4. The customer is (still) king

Your brilliance and expertise can’t fund your startup by themselves! Customers put food on your table and sustain the viability of your business. Listen to what they want from you. Be prepared to tailor your offering to their needs. If you get an opportunity to deliver results for someone – seize it. You can offer them a perk no big business can match: flexibility.

5. Shortcuts leave you short-changed

If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right first time. Don’t give investors a chance to pick holes in your business proposition by spending time and money on work that needs to be re-done. Website bugs or a ‘content farm’ blog can damage the functionality of your business as well as your reputation.

Sure, you’ll get to the stage where your business is ready for a re-brand or an experienced hire brings in the knowledge to optimise your content, but there’s a difference between being keen to improve versus tolerating shoddy work. Get the best you can buy at every stage of growth.

“Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” – Mark Cuban

6. Know your ‘why’

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But how can you cultivate this toughness? In the early stages, you may not have a co-founder or employee to share the struggle. There will be no team to carry you through phases of crippling doubt. Whether you need to adjust the feng shui of your home office, admit that breaks are crucial to your wellbeing or build opportunities to socialise with likeminded individuals into your schedule, take time to work out the foundations of your mental fortitude.

Understand your ‘why’ – the reason behind your passion that gives you a true sense of purpose. Then, work to cultivate a balance. You can’t do everything, but you can make time for family, exercise, and the little things that save your sanity. The ability to self-motivate will serve you in every area of life, whether business is your vocation or not.